Merchandise holding means for vending machines



April 8, .1958 F. A. WALTER 2,829,798

' MERCHANDISE HQLDING MEANS FOR VENDING MACHINES Filed Sept. 30, 1954 2Sheets-Sheet 1 April 8, 1958 F. A. WALTER 2,829,798

MERCHANDISE HOLDING MEANS FOR VENDING MACHINES Filed Sept. 50, 1954 2Shets-Sheet 2 Inventor- F lorLan A. Walter MERCHANDISE HOLDING MEANS FORVENDING MACHINES Florian A. Walter, Aurora, Ill., assignor to StonerMfg. Corp., Aurora, 111., a corporation of Illinois ApplicationSeptember 30, 1954, Serial No. 459,236

7 Claims. (Cl. 221-131) The invention relates to improvements in astructure and apparatus for frictionally holding vendable articles ofmerchandise contained in a coin-controlled vending machine againstunintended vending and is more specifically concerned with the provisionof novel pressure fingers arranged to co-act with the articles ofmerchandise to prevent the vending of said articles through fraudulentor faulty operation of the machine.

Coin-controlled vending machines of the character disclosed in theco-pending application of Harry B. Stoner, Serial No. 428,293, filed May7, 1954, include a plural ity of substantially vertically arranged rackseach containing packages or articles of merchandise to be vendedselectively upon manual operation of selected vending means. As iscommon in such machines, the manually actuable means is locked normallyby an associated coincontrolled mechanism and can be actuated to vendmerchandise only after the coin-controlled mechanism has beenconditioned to be unlocked by the presence therein of a coin or coins.

The specific coin-controlled mechanism and the specific manuallyactuable means forms no part of the present invention, except insofar assaid manually actuable vending means is effective to permit the novelpressure fingers to be eifective normally and to render them ineffectiveduring operation of the manually actuable vending means. In general, apressure finger is provided for each stack of merchandise and itnormally bears against the lowermost article of merchandise in therelated stack so as to prevent said article from being vendedimproperly. It is, therefore, an object of the invention to providenovelly constructed and mounted pressure fingers, one for each stack ofmerchandise in a vending machine.

The pressure fingers are mounted in such manner that pressure on arelated stack is relieved during a vending operation and it is an objectof the invention to provide a novel arrangement and association of partsto render such'pressure fingers ineffective when related manuallyactuable vending means is operated to vend merchandise.

The presence, is 'amerchandise vending machine, of pressure fingers ofthe character herein disclosed is such that means must be provided torelieve the pressure on the merchandise in all of the racks duringservicing of the machine and it is, therefore, another object of theinvention to provide such means. 7

Another object is to provide, in a merchandise vending machine, novellyconstructed pressure fingers.

Another object is to provide a novel mechanical connection between themanually actuable vending means and the related pressure fingers.

Another object is to provide, in a merchandise vending machine of a kindnormally housed within a cabinet, novel merchandise holding means whichis rendered ineffective when the cabinet door is opened during servicingof the machine.

Another object is to provide pressure fingers of the character describedwhich are not expensive to manufacture andinstall in a vending machine,which are very nited States Patent 2,829,798 Patented Apr. 8, 1958 icethe servicing of the machine, are entirely automatic in their operationand will require no servicing.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel featuresof construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structuremay be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of m invention, I haveillustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof,from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with thefollowing description, my invention, its mode of construction, assemblyand operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understoodand appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference areemployed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawings:

Fig. l is a fragmentary top plan view of a vending machine mechanismshowing portions broken away and illustrating, in section, a part of thecabinet within which the mechanism is enclosed.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantiallyalong line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 2, buttaken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the pressure fingersillustrating their mounting and association with vendable articles ofmerchandise.

The invention relates to improvements in merchandise vending machinesand is more particularly concerned with novel means for frictionallyholding merchandise within the racks containing the same prior toactuation of the merchandise vending mechanism.

The merchandise vending machine disclosed herein for purposes ofillustration is of the kind shown in the companion pending applicationhereinabove identified. The merchandise storage means and the vendingmechanism to be described presently is housed within a suitable cabinet,generally indicated at 11, which includes as part of its front wall adoor 12 adapted for movement from the closed position illustrated intoan open position so as to afford access to the merchandise storage meansand vending mechanism for servicing. The merchandise storage meansconsists of a plurality of upright racks 13 each adapted to contain astack of articles of merchandise 14.

In the present instance, the merchandise consists of pack- 'is deemednecessary.

' The merchandise racks 13, which are rectangular in section, arearranged side by side longitudinally of the width of the merchandisevending assembly adjacent the rear end. of a chassis 16 which underliesall of said racks. The chassis 16 is fabricated from sheet metal stockand it includes a front wall 17, a top Wall 18, and a depending rearwall 19 which is located forwardly of the back wall 21 of the racks 13.The back wall 21 of the racks 13 terminates above the plane of the topWall 18 of the chassis so as to define a vending opening 22 throughwhich an article of merchandise 14 is discharged each time the manuallyactuable vending mechanism now to be described is actuated.

Because the basic structure of each of the racks 13 is identical insofaras the present invention is concerned, and the construction andoperation of the vending mechanisms associated with each rack are alike,only one such vending mechanism is illustrated and described in detail,it being understood that the description is equally applicable to eachof the vending mechanisms and that like numerals identify correspondingparts.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the vending mechanism includes a manuallyreciprocal plunger 23 which extends through an opening 24 in the chassisfront wall 17. The plunger 23 carries, slidable thereon within theconfines of the chassis 16, a slide assembly generally indicated at 25which normally is connected to the plunger 23 in such manner as to bemovable therewith during normal machine operation. Means is provided,however, to permit the plunger 23 to be actuated independently of theslide assembly 25, should the machine or mechanism be jammed orotherwise rendered inoperative, so as to avoid part breakage. The meansfor accomplishing this forms no part of the present invention and itshould therefore be suflicient to note that the plunger 23 has, adjacentits rear end, a laterally extending pin 26 which extends through slots27 (only one shown) in the spaced side walls 28 of the slide assembly. Aspring-held latch 29 normally is in engagement with the pin 26 so as toafford a mechanical connection between the slide assembly and itsplunger. However, should the slide assembly 25 be held against operationduring movement of the plunger 23, the pin 26 is cammed out ofengagement with the latch 29 to permit free movement of the plunger.

Slide assembly 25 includes an upstanding built-up structure 30 whichprojects through a slot 31 (Fig. 1) in the chassis top wall 18 and thisstructure has mounted firmly on its upper face and ejector plate 32which normally provides a floor for the lowermost article of merchandisein the related rack 13. It should be suflicient for the purposes of thepresent disclosure to note that when the coin-controlled mechanism isconditioned to be unlocked by the presence of a coin or coins, any oneof the plungers 23 may be selectively pulled outwardly. Such movement ofthe plunger (to the left in Fig. 2) carries with it normally the slideassembly 25 and the ejector plate 32. When the ejector plate iswithdrawn substantially into the position illustrated in Fig. 3, thelowermost package of merchandise formerly supported thereon dropsdownwardly and rests upon the chassis top wall 18. When the plunger 23,its slide mechanism 25 and ejector plate 32 are returned to theirinitial positions, a downturned flange 33, provided on the rearmost endof the ejector plate 32, engages the lowermost package 14 of merchandiseand pushes it ahead of it so as to cause it to be discharged through thevending opening 22 for delivery to the customer.

It has been established that on occasion articles of merchandise maybecome displaced in the racks 13 should the vending machine be rocked,tilted, or in any manner jarred sufficiently to cause such displacement.When this occurs, proper vending is prevented and also there is thepossibility of one or more packages of merchandise being vendedinadvertently, or fraudulently.

In order to avoid such a situation or any other undesirable conditionarising from premature displacement of the lowermost article ofmerchandise, the vending machine is provided with novel pressure fingers34 one associated with each rack. As is best illustrated in Figs. 1 and2, each pressure finger 34 normally has its rearmost edge bear againstthe opposed end of the lowermost article of merchandise 14 in therelated rack 13. However, because'the. stack of merchandise. must dropdown following withdrawal of the ejector plate 32, it is necessary toprovide means whereby the pressure fingers 34 may be moved to positionsof non-engagement with the merchandise during the vending operation. Itis, of course, also necessary that only the pressure finger associatedwith the merchandise being vended is made ineflective while theremaining pressure fingers remain in merchandise holding position.

As is perhaps best illustrated in Fig. 4, the pressure fingers 34 areidentical and each consists of a piece of strap metal having one endturned downwardly to provide an end flange 35 for a purpose to becomeapparent presently. These pressure fingers are slidably mounted on thebottom face of a horizontal floor plate 36 which is spaced above theejector plates 32 and extends substantially the entire width of thevending machine mechanism. The plate 36 may be supported at its ends inforwardly extending brackets 37 constituting a part of the rackassembly. In order to hold the pressure fingers 34 slidably against theunderside of the floor plate 36, said floor plate has a plurality oflugs 38 struck out of its body downwardly to define sets of opposedguides to receive and guide the edge margins of the finger 34 mountedtherein.

The floor plate 36 is provided also with cutouts 39 each having adepending prong 41 disposed to lie within the confines of an edge recess42 in the related pressure finger 34. This prong 41 constitutes a stopfor limiting sliding movement of the pressure finger 34 transversely ofthe floor plate 36 and further affords means for anchoring one end of atension spring 43, the other end of which is connected, as at 44, to thefinger flange 35. This spring 43 normally urges the pressure fingeragainst the lowermost article of merchandise in the related rack so asto bind said article between the finger and the rack back wall 21.Should no merchandise be present within the rack, the action of thespring is limited by abutment of an end of the recess 42 with the prong41.

The flange 35 on the pressure finger 34 also functions to provide amechanical connection between the ejector plate 32 and the relatedpressure finger 34 for moving said finger from its engagement with themerchandise as illustrated in Fig. 2, forwardly out of engagementtherewith as in shown in Fig. 3. As there illustrated, the forward edgeor end of the ejector plate 32 has been carried forward into abutmentwith the flange 35 and has carried the pressure finger flange 35forwardly with it so as to relieve pressure on the merchandise andthereby permit said merchandise to drop into position for one articlethereof to be vended. As soon as the actual vending operation isinitiated, that is; when the ejector plate 32 starts its return to itsnormal position, the spring 43 will pull the pressure finger 34 towardthe rear of the machine so that it can again abut the article ofmerchandise now seated upon the top of the ejector plate 32. It shouldbe quite evident that the action of the pressure fingers is entirelyautomatic and is dependent upon operation of its related ejectormechanism.

When it becomes necessary to service the machine such as, for example,to replenish the supply of merchandise in the racks, it is necessarythat the pressure finger be moved into an ineifective position so as notto interfere with the proper loading of the merchandise in the racks.Such servicing is accomplished by opening the door 12 constitutingsubstantially the entire front of the machine. When the door is in theclosed position 1llustrated in the drawings, it bears against adownturned flange 45 on a slide element 46. Upon referring to Fig. 1, itwill be observed that there are two side elements 46 mounted on thebottom face of the floor plate.

machine so that when the door 12 of the cabinet 11 is open, said slideelements 46 will assume the position illustrated in broken lines in Fig.1.

The slide element 46 has a transverse bar 53 secured thereto which isoffset downwardly so as to lie in a plane beneath the pressure fingers34. Still referring to Fig. 1, it will be noted that there are two slideelements 46, one associated with a group of four pressure fingers 34,and the other associated with a group of three pressure fingers. Theforegoing construction and the operation to be now described withrespect to one of the slide elements 46 is identical in both instancesand like numerals will, of course, identify corresponding parts. Asnoted, the transverse bar 53 extending laterally on either side of theslide element 46 normally is out of contact with the related pressurefingers 34. However, when the door of the cabinet is open and the slidesassume the broken line positions shown in Fig. 1, the bar 53 will abutthe downturn flange 35 on each of the related pressure fingers and carrysaid fingers forwardly a distance sufficient to carry their rearmostends out of engagement with the merchandise. When the door 12 is closed,after servicing the machine, all of the pressure fingers are restored tooperative position automatically.

It should be-quite apparent that the novel means for holding themerchandise properly positioned within the rack is very simplyconstructed and positive in its operation. The pressure fingers 34 andslide elements 46 are sheet metal stampings, consequently, their cost ismaintained at a minimum and due to simplicity of the structure, there isno possibility of the pressure fingers becoming inoperative because ofany structural failure except in the event that a spring 43 or 51 shouldbreak. Such springs can, however, be easily replaced owing to theirready accessibility.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly,and many of its advantages, should be readily understood from theforegoing without further description, and it should also be manifestthat while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed for illustrative purposes, the structural details arenevertheless capable of wide variation Within the purview of myinvention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis:

1. In a merchandise vending machine including a plurality of racks eachto contain a stack of artlcles of merchandise to be vended and aplurality of reciprocal means operable selectively to vend an article ofmerchandise from a selected rack, yieldable means normally bearingagainst the stacks to prevent inadvertent vending, said means comprisinga plurality of reciprocal fingers, one for each stack springs oneoperatively connected to each finger to normally urge them into endwisecontact with the merchandise in a related rack, said reciprocal meansbeing engagable with a related finger for moving the finger out ofengagement with the merchandise during a vending operation a plate,movable means normally holding said plate in a predetermined positionunder spring tension, and means on said plate engageable with thereciprocal fingers to withdraw them from contact with the merchandisewhen the movable means is displaced.

2. In a merchandise vending machine of the character recited in claim 1,in which the movable means holding the plate in said predeterminedposition consists of a door in a housing enclosing the vendingmechanism.

3. In a merchandise vending machine of the character recited in claim 1,in which the plate carries a transverse bar bridging the reciprocalfingers and engageable with projections on said fingers.

4. In a merchandise vending machine of the character recited in claim 1,in which the reciprocal fingers and plate are mounted on a floor platelocated above the plane of the reciprocal means.

5. In a vending machine including a housing having a normally closeddoor, a plurality of substantially vertically arranged racks eachadapted to contain a stack of articles to be vended, ejector mechanismsassociated one with each rack, said ejector mechanisms being selectivelyoperable to eject the lowermost article from its related rack, springpressed fingers one associated with each rack normally engaging saidlowermost article to prevent inadvertent ejection, means on the ejectormechanisms operative during a vending cycle to carry the related fingerout of engagement with the article to be vended, and means common to allof said fingers operative to carry all of said fingers out of engagementwith the lowermost articles in said racks when the housing door is movedinto an open position.

6. In a merchandise vending machine including a housing and a pluralityof racks each to contain merchandise to be vended, said housing having anormally closed service door, a plurality of slidable means selectivelyoperable to vend merchandise from selected racks, pressure fingers oneassociated with each rack normally effective to maintain saidmerchandise against being vended, means operable when said door isopened to render all of said pressure fingers ineffective, and means oneach pressure finger engageable by the related slidable means forrendering a pressure finger ineffective during operation of its relatedslidable means.

7. In a merchandise vending machine including a' cabinet having aservice door and having upstanding racks in said cabinet each containingarticles of merchandise to be vended and means associated with each rackselectively operable to vend merchandise from a selected rack, meansnormally frictionally holding the lowermost article of merchandise inthe racks, means on the merchandise vending means engageable with saidholding means during a part of its operating cycle to relieve saidarticle of merchandise from said holding means, and means operablyconnecting the door and said holding means effective when said door isopen to render said holding means inefiective.

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